To what extent do faculty make themselves available beyond their official office hours for informal meetings?     * * *      Ask students in your field of interest (such as literature, or government, or history) what kinds of new ideas, perspectives, or ways of thinking have they learned in their years in college. Do they find these approaches and perspectives relevant to the real world, and to their lives?     * * *      Is on-campus housing readily available for upper-level students who want it?     * * *     Can you describe what kinds of students it would be who, even if they are truly trying hard, are most likely to run into problems academically at this school?     * * *       For your favorite recreational activity—sports, music, photography, etc.—are there related teams or clubs on campus?     * * *      Are there a lot of ambitious people here? Are the students very competitive? Do people feel they are on the fast-track to the future?     * * *      How large is a typical class at the freshman level? Sophomore? Junior and senior?     * * *      Speaking very broadly, do students on campus tend to be career- or money-making-oriented, social-service-oriented, or focused on advanced academic studies, or the arts?     * * *      Does the college have any formal, written policies curbing freedom of expression? You also need to ask lots of students if there is a little—or a lot—of unofficial, but very real social pressure to conform, pressure to not say certain ideas or beliefs.     * * *      Does the college have any specific rules or guidelines about how men and women are supposed to handle dating? (You’d be surprised at some of the colleges that have such rules!)     * * *      If you need to see a doctor, and the campus health center or clinic is closed—or if a nurse refers you to a doctor, and there are no doctors at the clinic—where do you have to go? How far is it from the campus?     * * *      How fast has tuition been increasing? Has it been rising by large amounts each year?     * * *      Does the library generally have the materials that the students need to support their homework, research, or other projects? Is the library open sufficient hours?     * * *      Are there positive relations on campus between students of different cultures, or different religions? Are there any significant tensions within the student body over issues of race, religion, political values, gender, or anything else along those lines?     * * *      For classes which require participation from fellow students (such as discussion seminars), typically, have most students done the necessary readings and other preparations?     * * *      If you wind up commuting to the campus—either because you will live at home, or because there may not be enough housing on campus—is there adequate campus parking for your car, with reasonable parking fees? If you don’t have a car, how often do the buses or trains run? How late into the night do they operate? Are they safe to ride?     * * *      Are people friendly enough to share notes if another student gets to class late? Or is everyone so concerned about getting the best grade that they would not be so friendly?     * * *      In theory, most students should not be drinking at all, since they are under-age. The reality is that alcohol somehow manages to find its way onto many campuses. If you are not a drinker, can students find a welcoming social life on campus among other students who are sober-minded?     * * *      If you know you have pre-existing medical conditions, can you get the support you need for these conditions through the campus health services? What kinds of medical treatment are covered through a campus health insurance policy? How much does the insurance cost?     * * *      In discussion seminars, do the faculty actually lead discussions, or do they wind up lecturing most of the time?     * * *